Vessel or ship.



No. 682,63l.

Pat antad Sept. l7, 190i. P. MANDHIN & L. BGUDBEAUX.

I VESSEL 0R SHIP.

(Application filed July 16, 1899.)

s 60. mm'mmnmwunmmou n c I UNITED STATES PATENT V OFFICE.

PAUL MANOHIN AND LOUISBOUDREAUX, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

VESSEL OR SHIP.

SEECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,631, dated September 17, 1901.

Application filed July 15, 1899. Serial No. 723,957. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PAUL MANCHIN and LOUIS BOUDREAUX, citizens of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Vessels and Ships, (for which we have made application for Letters Patent in France, No. 284,558, dated December 31, 1898, and in Germany dated April 5, 1899,) of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to the constructions of ships or means applicable to existing ships whereby they may be renderedinsubmergeable; and it consists, essentially, in the arrangement in the interior of such ships or vessels of a series of safety-compartments which are preferably water-tight and insubmergeable in themselves and are calculated to prevent the complete sinking of the vessel, even when the hull is leaking in every part. This can be effected while not interfering in any way with the present system or construction of ships, consisting of a series of compartments communicating with each other by doors of a construction more or less perfect. The upper portions of these floats or watertight chambers form a series of platforms, which may be connected by a series of gangways or the like and are made use of as regards their interior space in the same Way as the vessel itself. They ofler, therefore, in

' case of danger a refuge for the passengers and the crew. The necessary provisions can be provided for an emergency, together with signaling devices by which to attract the notice of any vessel passing by, without the necessity of abandoning the vessel or of putting out in small boats.

In order to render the description more easily understood, one of the many modifications of which the invention is capable of application is represented in the accompanying accident and kept from sinking by the means referred to. Figs. 5, 6, and 7correspond to the foregoing views, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, illustrating the manner in which the interior of the floats can be made use of, as Well as the arrangement of the steps and gangways, by which means all on board can take refuge either on the platforms or in the interior of the floats in case of accident.

.As will be easily understood from an examination of the drawings, the essential feature of the invention consists in the arrange.

ment, without interfering with the shape of the vessel A, in the interior of the vessel of a the displacement of the volume of water necessary for flotation in case of a complete immersion of the vessel. The device therefore involves the necessity of providing as a superstructure a series of floats B, with adisplace- 'ment at least equal to that of the vessel when fully charged. This system of securing the insubmergeability of a vessel forms, therefore,

a second means of flotation, replacing that of Y the wrecked vessel itself. It allows of finding the cubic contents in height, which could not be ascertained in the interior of the vessel.

The floats B maybe of any number and ar- These floats B, which are closed onv ranged in any manner required as long as they do not interfere with the'essential principle of the invention, which is common to all the modifications and which consists in an elevated construction of superstructu re-that is, a structure passing above or projecting beyond the upper deck of the vessel. By their united capacities the various floats will be suflicient at least to hold in suspension under water the whole weight of the submerged ves- As regards shape the floats B will be sel. generally rectangular, with such modifications as may be required, the shape being adapted more or less to the shape of the vessel.

The floats B can be placed in one or two rows along the sides of the longitudinal axis of the vessel at a convenient distance from the shell of the vessels hull, so as to offer some security against harm being done to the floats in case of collision or damage to the ship as well as to leave a space for communication in the interior of the vessel, while also preserving the arrangement of passengers cabins and portholes, as found in ordinary packets and other boats.

The floats or holder-chambers may be arranged at either regularorirregular distances from each other, so as to allow between them sut'flcient room for the various necessary apparatus and furnishing of the shipsuch as, for instance, (see Fig. 1,) the engines at E, boilers at F, saloons and storerooms at G, dzc. Some of them will, while still preserving their character of superstructu res, only descend to the water-line, so as to leave the space beneath for the boilers, for instance, or to avoid the slanting sides of the hull at the bow and at the stern; but in this case the deficiency in volume or cubic contents must be made up by the other floats.

The front floats B may have a triangular shape and also be otherwise inclined and shaped in cross-section and longitudinal section, so as not to present a perpendicular surface to the waves. The rearmost float B may have its volume increased by an addition in the form of an extension close to the upper deck, which increase, owing to its increased displacement of water, will greatly help in case of accident to keep afloat the stern of the vessel, which generally is heavily weighted by the engines. The floats B may also have their sides projecting above the upper deck inclined and the angles rounded off, so as to offer the least possible resistance to the wind. In the interior the floats may be partitioned in any suitable manner by horizontal or longitudinal or transverse partitions.

The number of the floats will depend upon the type of the vessel which is to be provided with them and the sections of the various parts of the same vessel; but it may be observed here that the security of the arrangement is greater with a greater number of small floats than with a smaller number of large floats in an accident in which any of them should happen to be damaged or rendered useless.

As regards the dimensions and the volume of the floats it may be observed that by fixing their height, for instance, at three times the height of the depth of the hold of the vessel beneath the water-line it will be sufiicient to reserve for them in the interior of the vessel as regards area one-third of the area of the hold at the water-line, by which means the cubic contents or the volume of the floats will be about equal to the total displacement of the vessel when fully loaded. Thus a packet-boat having a hold under the waterline six meters deep will be provided with floats eighteen meters high and will leave for the interior arrangements of the vesselssuch as saloons, cabins, &c., engines, boilers, storerooms, and cargo-roomstwo-thirds of the surface. The height of eighteen meters for the floats can be easily attained in new packetboats with twin screws, which are considerably larger than the old ones. The said floats will therefore only project about two and onehalf meters above the ordinary superstructures of apacket-boat and this only for about half the length of the whole vessel, admitting the air to the spaces between, and not afiecting in the least the stability of the vessel. These proportions, as indicated above, are only given by way of example, the essential point being that the cubic contents or volume of the floats should be suflicient for the purpose Whatever their height may be.

It was stated above that the volume of water displaced by the whole of the floats should be equal to the displacement of water by the whole vessel when loaded. To be exact, the volume of the floats should be greater than the displacement of the vessel in practice. However, advantage may be taken of the considerable decrease of weight of the vessel and of its cargo resulting from their complete immersion in the water. The volume indicated above of the floats will therefore be found sufficient to keep their tops above water to the extent of several meters while at the same time holding in suspension the submerged vessel, Fig. 4. The floats B being of great dimensions may be so arranged in the interior while not interfering with their watertightness as to house in them a number of the passengers and to store their luggage, as Well as part of the cargo, living stores, ($50., so that the space occupied by the said floats in the vessel is thus partly recovered and utilized. The interior of these floats will also serve, as has already been said, in case of serious leakage in the hull of the vessel as a refuge for the passengers and crew.

As regards the outer appearance of the floats their upper parts will form a series of platforms surrounded by balustrades and connected by gangways or bridges, thus forming above the vessel an immense safety-gallery, Figs. 5 and 6. On the outside of the floats steps may be provided to give easy access to them by the passengers.

Inasmuch as the floats have to be absolutely water-tight they can be provided with doors or the like only on the upper platform, Fig. 5. These entries maybe supplied with double closingdoors, which can be rendered self closing. These water-tight closing devices will allow ot' a damaged float being partly used as an air-bell and in case of need to compress the air in the interior, so as to drive out the water to the level of the breach or hole. The floats may be provided in the interior with fresh air by any mechanical means of ventilation. A few permanently-sealed ports are arranged on the upper part of the floats (see Fig. 5) to admit light to the interior; The stories or floors underneath the upper one are lighted by electric lamps or the like.

As to the submersible part of the vessel sufficient to sink a merchant vessel.

the system of ordinary water-tight compartments, as has been stated before, may still be employed, in which case the transverse sides of the floats B may be employed. It will be su fficient for this purpose to connect the free sides of the floats with the corresponding Walls of the vessel.

The floats offer this advantage that a certain amount of the hold of the vessel which cannot be occupied by water retards and diminishes by so much the sinking of the vessel in case of accident. The hull of the vessel, even when damaged, serves as a protecting-shield for the floats to such an extent that the latter could rarely be damaged. For this reason a vessel striking on the rocks will not sink or will sink very slowly, thus giving time to arrange for the saving of life and property,

while an ordinary vessel would sink very rapidly in spite of its water-tight compartments. In times of war a single projectile will not be To do this, the vessel will have to be struck many times. Even a torpedo may leave a number of floats intact su fficient to keep the vessel afloat. Finally, the floats would allow of a damaged vessel being refloated on the high seats by the means available on board by patching up the leaks which are susceptible of such treatment by divers and then pumping out one compartment after the other as far as it is possible. Of course it will be necessary to bear this possibility in mind at the time of constructing the vessel and provide for the hermetic closing of all the communications between the different decks, and so prevent the water from reentering the vessel and also to provide the latter with the means necessary for refloating it. The floats thus form safetyplatforms and can be as such applied in a general mannerto boats, life-boats, fishing-boats, light-ships, sailing vessels, yachts, packetboats, &c., and to the navy generally.

ing above the upper deck so as to form super.

structures above the latter, the combined capacity of the float-chambers and height of the same being such as to obtain a volume at least equal to the displacement of the volume of water necessary to float the vessel when the latter is completely immersed and prevent the uppermost ends of the floats being submerged.

2. A vessel provided with a series of hermetically-closable float-chambers connected to the hull of the vessel, and rising above the upper deck so as to form superstructures above the latter, the combined capacity of the float-chambers and the height of the same being such as to obtain a volume at least equal to the displacement of the volume of water necessary to float the vessel when the latter is completely immersed and prevent the uppermost ends of the floats being submerged, means for entering and hermetically closing said floats and gang ways between the tops of adjacent float-chambers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereto set our hands in the presence of the two subscrib ing witnesses.

PAUL MANOHIN. V LOUIS BOUDREAUX.

Witnesses:

JEAN ROBELET, EDWARD P. MAOLEAN. 

